'Grand Theft Auto 4’ is great but is annoyingly flawed

Menace the streets of Liberty City as the career criminal Niko in “Grand Theft Auto 4.”

Doug Elfman

Published: Friday, May 9, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 9, 2008 at 1:05 p.m.

Ex-New Yorkers always tell me how hard it was to leave the city because it was rewarding to survive their challenging, daily routines ó a grind I call "foraging."

New Yorkers forage for food, transportation, coffee, love, groceries and 500-square-foot apartments costing less than $2,000. When they move, they suffer emotional turmoil, adjusting to an easier, more affordable lifestyle, as if they don’t deserve comfort.

In other words, New Yorkers get Stockholm Syndrome. They fall in love with their captor: an unforgiving city.

I don’t like to forage in New York or in the New York-patterned boroughs of Liberty City in "Grand Theft Auto 4." Everything in Liberty City is a hassle. You hijack a car, then cops drive after you, and it’s nearly impossible to navigate roads because they’re troubled with traffic, obstacles and darkness.

I change the brightness settings on both my Xbox 360 and my 55-inch high-definition TV just so I can see other cars, street turns and where bad guys are coming from, especially when I battle real gamers online.

To keep perspective, this is my long complaint about an otherwise great game, even if it does start slow and boring. (Do you really have to shoot pool and go bowling? Seriously?)

This latest "GTA" offers another 60-hour offline adventure packed with extravagant cinema scenes and murderous missions. It’s also the first "GTA" with online shooting, which is nice, but body movements are sluggish. And you start each level with the worst handgun imaginable, instead of a good machine gun.

It took about 1,000 people to make "GTA 4," including programmers, developers, producers and actors. You can see the depth. There is a big plot and awesome dialogue.

You play as Niko, a Serbian immigrant who has been coaxed by his cousin Roman’s lies to move to the big city. But stupid Roman gets irate Niko into the crime world. You collect protection money and shoot rival cons with rifles, shotguns and machine guns.

The best part is the writing. There are no better conversations in games than in "GTA" titles, except maybe for the "Destroy All Humans!" series. In "GTA," New York-y pedestrians say things like, "I’m late for therapy!" A woman you sex up says, "I’ve never dated a foreign guy before. A lot from another planet. But never from another country."

You buy lap dances from two strippers grooving to Goldfrapp’s "Ooh, La La," and you ask, "Are you, like, sisters or cousins or something?"

Radio stations in your hijacked vehicles play scores of classic and pop songs, but DJs also act as evil parodies of the real thing. DJs are racist, sexist and conservative, bemoaning even the loss of separate drinking fountains. This is not face-value cruelty, but rather a stinging, liberal satire of the right.

The liberalness makes me wonder why Democrats like New Yorker Hilary Clinton assail games, which are generally to the left.

I’m guessing she’s never played a "Grand Theft Auto." Then again, she’s got her own Stockholm Syndrome to keep her busy.

Doug Elfman is an award-winning entertainment columnist who lives in Las Vegas. He blogs at DougElfman.com.

What's on the list

USED GAME OF THE WEEK

One of the great forgotten games of late is “BlackSite: Area 51” (Midway) for Xbox 360. It’s a subversive game where you play as an amazing soldier who slays other soldiers and aliens that have been fused and let loose on a killing spree in a little Nevada dust town.

It’s really quite the fun shooting action-adventure. And now it’s selling for less than $20 in used-game stores. It’s rated “T” for violence, blood and language.

NEW RELEASES

“Boom Blox” (EA) is an arcade puzzler for the interactive Nintendo Wii designed in part by Steven Spielberg. You use the Wii wand to throw projectiles at blocks and gems stacked as in “Jenga,” and you can play a story mode with cutesy characters. The May 6 release retails for $50. It’s rated “E.”

“Speed Racer: The Videogame” (Warner Brothers Games) is a driving game based on the film, and you can drive the Mach 5, and choose to race as Speed, Trixie or Racer X. The May 6 release retails for $50 for Wii. It’s rated “E” for fantasy violence and mild language.

TOP 10 NEW GAMES

Here are the top 10 best-selling video games, according to retailer Blockbuster.

<p>Ex-New Yorkers always tell me how hard it was to leave the city because it was rewarding to survive their challenging, daily routines ó a grind I call "foraging."</p><p>New Yorkers forage for food, transportation, coffee, love, groceries and 500-square-foot apartments costing less than $2,000. When they move, they suffer emotional turmoil, adjusting to an easier, more affordable lifestyle, as if they don’t deserve comfort.</p><p>In other words, New Yorkers get Stockholm Syndrome. They fall in love with their captor: an unforgiving city.</p><p>I don’t like to forage in New York or in the New York-patterned boroughs of Liberty City in "Grand Theft Auto 4." Everything in Liberty City is a hassle. You hijack a car, then cops drive after you, and it’s nearly impossible to navigate roads because they’re troubled with traffic, obstacles and darkness.</p><p>I change the brightness settings on both my Xbox 360 and my 55-inch high-definition TV just so I can see other cars, street turns and where bad guys are coming from, especially when I battle real gamers online.</p><p>To keep perspective, this is my long complaint about an otherwise great game, even if it does start slow and boring. (Do you really have to shoot pool and go bowling? Seriously?)</p><p>This latest "GTA" offers another 60-hour offline adventure packed with extravagant cinema scenes and murderous missions. It’s also the first "GTA" with online shooting, which is nice, but body movements are sluggish. And you start each level with the worst handgun imaginable, instead of a good machine gun.</p><p>It took about 1,000 people to make "GTA 4," including programmers, developers, producers and actors. You can see the depth. There is a big plot and awesome dialogue.</p><p>You play as Niko, a Serbian immigrant who has been coaxed by his cousin Roman’s lies to move to the big city. But stupid Roman gets irate Niko into the crime world. You collect protection money and shoot rival cons with rifles, shotguns and machine guns.</p><p>As usual, you drive old muscle cars, ambulances, helicopters, cop cars, stretch limos and tons of horrible beater-cars that barely turn corners.</p><p>The best part is the writing. There are no better conversations in games than in "GTA" titles, except maybe for the "Destroy All Humans!" series. In "GTA," New York-y pedestrians say things like, "I’m late for therapy!" A woman you sex up says, "I’ve never dated a foreign guy before. A lot from another planet. But never from another country."</p><p>You buy lap dances from two strippers grooving to Goldfrapp’s "Ooh, La La," and you ask, "Are you, like, sisters or cousins or something?"</p><p>Radio stations in your hijacked vehicles play scores of classic and pop songs, but DJs also act as evil parodies of the real thing. DJs are racist, sexist and conservative, bemoaning even the loss of separate drinking fountains. This is not face-value cruelty, but rather a stinging, liberal satire of the right.</p><p>The liberalness makes me wonder why Democrats like New Yorker Hilary Clinton assail games, which are generally to the left.</p><p>I’m guessing she’s never played a "Grand Theft Auto." Then again, she’s got her own Stockholm Syndrome to keep her busy.</p><p>Doug Elfman is an award-winning entertainment columnist who lives in Las Vegas. He blogs at DougElfman.com.</p><h3>What's on the list</h3>
<p>USED GAME OF THE WEEK</p><p>One of the great forgotten games of late is BlackSite: Area 51 (Midway) for Xbox 360. It’s a subversive game where you play as an amazing soldier who slays other soldiers and aliens that have been fused and let loose on a killing spree in a little Nevada dust town.</p><p>It’s really quite the fun shooting action-adventure. And now it’s selling for less than $20 in used-game stores. It’s rated T for violence, blood and language.</p><p>NEW RELEASES</p><p>Boom Blox (EA) is an arcade puzzler for the interactive Nintendo Wii designed in part by Steven Spielberg. You use the Wii wand to throw projectiles at blocks and gems stacked as in Jenga, and you can play a story mode with cutesy characters. The May 6 release retails for $50. It’s rated E.</p><p>Speed Racer: The Videogame (Warner Brothers Games) is a driving game based on the film, and you can drive the Mach 5, and choose to race as Speed, Trixie or Racer X. The May 6 release retails for $50 for Wii. It’s rated E for fantasy violence and mild language.</p><p>TOP 10 NEW GAMES</p><p>Here are the top 10 best-selling video games, according to retailer Blockbuster.</p><p>1. Wii Zapper with Link’s Crossbow Training (Nintendo) for Wii; rated E</p><p>2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) for Wii; rated T (cartoon violence, crude humor)</p><p>3. Wii Play with Wii remote (Nintendo) for Wii; rated E</p><p>4. Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel (Nintendo); rated E (comic mischief)</p><p>5. Grand Turismo 5: Prologue (Sony) for PS 3; rated E (mild suggestive themes)</p><p>6. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo) for Wii; rated E (mild cartoon violence)</p><p>7. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Ubisoft) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated M (blood, intense violence, strong language)</p><p>8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock bundle (Aspyr Media) for Wii; also available for PS 3, Xbox 360, PS 2; T (lyrics, mild suggestive themes)</p><p>9. Mario Party 8 (Nintendo) for Wii; rated E (mild cartoon violence)</p><p>10. House of the Dead 2 and 3 Return (Sega) for Wii; rated M (blood, gore, violence)</p><p>TOP 10 RENTAL GAMES</p><p>Here are the top 10 best-renting video games, according to retailer Blockbuster.</p><p>1. Army of Two (EA) or Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated M (strong language, blood, intense violence)</p><p>2. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Ubisoft) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated M (blood, intense violence, strong language)</p><p>3. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo) for Wii; rated T (cartoon violence, crude humor)</p><p>4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, DS; rated M (blood, gore intense violence, strong language)</p><p>5. Grand Theft Auto 5: Prologue (Sony) for PS 3; rated E (mild suggestive themes)</p><p>6. Major League Baseball 2K8 (2K Sports) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3, Wii, PS 2 and PSP; rated E</p><p>7. Army of Two for PS 3</p><p>8. Dark Sector (D3Publishing) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated M (blood, gore, intense violence, strong language)</p><p>9. Viking: Battle of Asgard (Sega) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated M (blood, gore, intense violence)</p><p>10. NBA Ballers: Chosen One (Midway) for Xbox 360; also available for PS 3; rated E ()</p><p>Ratings: E for Everyone; T for Teen; M for Mature 17+</p>